The Cast Of ‘A League Of Their Own’, 30+ Years Later
A League of Their Own, both an Academy award-winning film, and a cult classic, helped launch big careers for the cast, including Tom Hanks. But not everyone made it big after the film. From superstars to actors who never would be seen again, here is what happened to the cast of A League of Their Own.
Geena Davis as Dottie Hinson
Geena Davis played back catcher Dottie Hinson in a local softball league before joining the Rockford Peaches. Dottie is the more mature, more talented, and more respected sister between her younger sister.
Dottie (Davis) battles her younger sister Kit’s (Lori Petty) jealousy issues throughout the movie.
Geena Davis Today
Davis transitioned to television as the United States’ first female president on the hit ABC series Commander in Chief.
Geena Davis has not limited her talents to action movies alone. Davis has appeared in the comedy Stuart Little, Stuart Little 2, and the drama The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Tea Leoni as Racine Belles
If you blinked, then you would have missed rival Tea Leoni as Racine Belles’ first-baseman. In fact, you would be hard-pressed to find the name of Leoni’s character.
Leoni caught Hollywood’s eye in the movie Bad Boys, which starred Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, and in Deep Impact (1998).
Tea Leone Today
Leoni was a natural when she jumped to television as the lead role on the CBS TV series Madam Secretary. Leoni starred in the series for five seasons before it ended in 2019.
Leoni married her co-star from Madam Secretary, Tim Daly, in 2014.
Bitty Schram as Evelyn Gardner
Bitty Schram’s character Evelyn Gardner cried memorably as her manager Dugan (Tom Hanks) proclaims that “There’s no crying in baseball!”
Dugan is a bitter alcoholic who blasts Gardner, making her burst into tears, drawing the ire of the fans in the stands. Gardner’s over-sensitivity endears her character to fans.
Bitty Schram Today
Schram successfully had a 2-year run in the Broadway hit Laughter on the 23rd Floor. Schram dabbled on television, mainly for 3 seasons on USA network’s series Monk.
Schram’s performance on Monk get her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an actress in a television series.
Madonna as Mae Mordabito
Madonna dancing on a stage or screen is not unusual, but Madonna as a baseball player was unbelievable to imagine.
Mae Mordabito, played by Madonna, left her job as a taxi dancer, to play for the Rockford Peaches. Mae teaches illiterate teammate Shirley (Cusack) to read a risque novel.
Madonna Today
Known globally as the “Material Girl”, Madonna was well prepared for her taxi-dancer role in the film. Madonna’s stage presence and choreography defined many of her concerts.
Madonna, the Queen of Pop, sang Vogue, which sold over 300 million records worldwide, a world record according to Guinness World Records.
Tracy Reiner as Betty Horn
Tracy Reiner played Betty Horn. Horn (Reiner) cries dramatically after Manager Dugan (Hanks) rips her baseball card of her idol Dugan, after she waited for his autograph.
Reiner, daughter of director Penny Marshall and filmmaker Rob Reiner, starred in When Harry Met Sally and Apollo 13.
Tracy Reiner Today
Reiner reprises her role as Betty Horn in A League of Their Own, the television series. Reiner acted in several low-key movies and produced a documentary after the movie, but left the acting world to pursue outside interests.
In 2013, Reiner built a team funding and marketing medical software.
Lori Petty as Kitty Keller
Lori Petty as Kitty Keller, personified sibling rivalry in the movie with older sister and fellow farm girl Dottie Hinson (Geena Davis).
Throughout the film, Ktty (Petty), takes every opportunity to prove she is just as good if not better than her older sister Dottie (Davis).
Renee Coleman as Alice Gaspers
Canadian actress Renee Coleman played superstitious left fielder and back catcher, Alice Gaspers in A League of Their Own.
Gaspers (Coleman) hilariously infused her superstitious ways on her skeptical teammates. One example in the film, Gaspers makes the team cross their fingers as they passed a cemetery.
Renee Coleman Today
Before Renee Coleman landed her role in A League of Their Own, Coleman acted in the three episodes of the television series Quantum Leap, including after filming the movie.
After leaving Hollywood, Coleman received her doctorate in mythological studies and is married with four children.
Lori Petty Today
After the film’s release, Lori Petty starred in Point Break, Free Willy, and later joined the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black as a recurring character Lolly Whitehill.
Petty has made several other cameo appearances in television such as ER, NYPD Blue, and Robot Chicken.
Ann Cusack as Shirley Baker
Ann Cusack’s role of the illiterate left fielder Shirley Baker was a loveable character to audiences. Audiences gravitated to Baker (Cusack) for her efforts to learn to read.
In the film, Baker (Cusack) learns to read using a novel of a certain topic, courtesy of teammate Mae (Madonna).
Ann Cusack Today
Cusack, mother of Joan and John, transitioned to a few television series, before reuniting with Tom Hanks in Sully.
Cusack, like many of her co-stars from the movie, has made several guest appearances on television shows like Murder She Wrote, Ally McBeal, and most recently, The Good Doctor.
Tom Hanks as Jimmy Dugan
The line made famous by Tom Hanks, “There’s no crying in baseball!”, is what most fans remember about the movie.
Hanks played Jimmy Dugan, a former Chicago Cubs star. Dugan as Manager of the Rockford Peaches, leads the team to face their rivals Racine Belles, in the World Series.
Tom Hanks Today
Where can we not find Tom Hanks today? Since starring in A League of Their Own, Hanks has dominated box offices in front and behind the camera.
Hanks voiced the animated character Woody in Toy Story after winning 2 Best Actor Awards for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump.
Rosie O’Donnell (Doris Murphy)
Doris Murphy (Rosie O’Donnell) quits bouncing at bars and joins her best friend from New York, Mae (Madonna), to play for the Peaches.
Doris flexes her toughness by trying to intimidate new teammates with the help of her bestie and provides comic relief as the film’s resident bully.
Rosie O’Donnell
O’Donnell famously had her own daytime talk show, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, and then co-hosted the talk show The View for two seasons.
O’Donnell is well-known for her support of the LGBTQ community, advocating for adoption and other rights. O’ Donnell came out as a lesbian in 2002.
Garry Marshall as Walter Harvey
The late Gary Marshall, brother of the film’s director Penny Marshall, played league owner and businessman Walter Harvey. Harvey started the league because the men were sent off to fight in WWII.
Harvey aggressively lobbied for a professional women’s baseball league for revenue purposes and to keep baseball alive.
Garry Marshall left his mark on Hollywood
Before appearing in A League of Their Own, Garry Marshall created the hit shows Happy Days, and Laverne and Shirley, where he directed his sister Penny Marshall.
Marshall’s responsible for TV’s most iconic shows like The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Odd Couple, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Hot in Cleveland.
Bill Pullman as Bob Hinson
Bob (BIll Pullman), Dottie’s (Geena Davis) husband, returns from war and surprises her while she is franticly suspecting that he has been killed.
Bob was shot by a sniper and was unable to contact her.
Bill Pullman Today
The New York native Pullman, appeared in the television series Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Pullman was also no stranger to the bright lights of Broadway.
Pullman’s long stage career includes roles in The Goat or Who is Sylvia?, Oleanna, The Other Place, The Jacksonian, and All My Sons.
Jon Lovitz as Ernie Capadino
After Saturday Night Live, Jon Lovitz played sarcastic and rude talent scout Ernie Capadino in A League of Their Own.
Capadino recruits Dottie (Davis), who initially rejects his offer to play, but accepts only after Kit (Petty) is offered a tryout.
Jon Lovitz Today
After A League of Their Own, Jon Lovitz starred in The Wedding Singer and appeared on the sit-com Hot in Cleveland.
Lovitz was a guest on the animated television series The Simpsons, appearing in 20 episodes. Lovitz and his sarcasm were an obvious fit to two Comedy Central roasts.
Director Penny Marshall
The late director Penny Marshall was not in the movie, but the director had the attention and respect of her ensemble cast. Marshall’s film fictionally tells the story of the empowerment of female athletes.
The movie later inspired the brief spinoff television series starring her brother Gary Marshall.
